Furring strip



Patented Sept. 4, i923.

UNITE I si" atr a MERTON B. THRIFT, or rrnnt'ronr, osmroanra.

FURRING- srnrr;

Application filed October 11, 1922. Serial no. v593,901.

T 0 aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MERTON B. THRIFT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Piedmont, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented a new These wooden laths are objectionable, because they are subject to swelling when the plaster is put on the wall and. meshed all about them. As the wall dries out, the

laths also dry, but not at the same rate the plaster does, thus, these inequalities in shrinkage cause fine cracks to form in the wall that mar its appearance. This known fact causes many prospective builders of homes to decide in favor of a shingle or other wood exterior, rather than any compositon coating subject to cracking because of the wood laths.

Therefore, the prime objectof myinven-.

ing and shrinking, and adaptable for producing a high-grade and permanent plaster wall.

Other objects include: The ease in the manufacturing of the strips, which practi cally can be made from scrap material, hence very low cost; the ease of the application of them to the studding, sheathing or other base support; the continuous, smooth and comparatively long supporting surface for the wire fabric; the improved notched keying means for additional reinforcement; and the provision of means for stretching and fastenin the wire fabric on the wall surface.

Other objects of minor importance will appear as the description of my invention progresses.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings,

thickness of the first coating of plaster.

I have illustrated my improved furring strip as applied to an exterior wall of a bungalow.

Figure l is a plan. View of a strip.

F igure Q is a horizontal sectional view, showing the wire lathing reinforcement and suport in final positon on a wall.

Figure '8 is an elevation ofa portion of a wall, showing four stages of completion,

namely, the wood sheathing in place, the building paper and my metallic strip secured thereto, the wire 'lathing also secured thereto, and the finished composition coating, applied.

A detailed description of the figures on the drawing now follow: The numeral '1 throughout the, figures represents my furring strip. It is preferably made of sheet "metal and of any-lengthd'esired, such for example,as'thewidth of a roll of wire fabric'. In cross-section the strip is substantially V-shaped'with preferably a blunt ridge, and'of a depth to suit the desired Notches 2 are cut from the sides of the strip affording additional keying and holding means for the plaster. On the-ridge of the strip are punched a series of small holes 3 for the reception of the lathers nails, who 35 may engage any of the holes and as many as he wishes, for the fastening of the strip to the wall.

7 4 represents the wood b H sheathing, 5 the m ing form a continuous and smooth ridge for a purpose' to be described presently.

The base of the strip in cross-section, it

will be observed, is quite wide, this is for the purpose of afi'ording a wide contacting support for holding the building paper in place, lest the wind get behind the paper and rip it from the sheathing, should the supporting area be narrow. 7

On the wall the strips may be spaced and secured thereto in staggered relation. When the Wall area desired to be covered is so completed, wire fabric 7 is unrolled on the strips 1 and tightly drawn by hand over a large area and secured at the ends of the unrolled portion. Then, between the stag, gered strips, a'staple or ordinary fiat-head nail 8 is driven into the sheathing until the head of the nail is about flush with the fabric surface, then the head is turned over and paper unrolled thereon and "held 90 thereto by the strip 1 and nails 6. The latter is are driven flush with the ridge surface to engages the wire, thus drawing and stretching it over the smooth-ridged strips in an uneven plane as seen in Figure 2.

The wall with its reinforcing foundation is now ready to receive its first coating of plaster. This coating is generally of a thickness equal to the depth of-the metallic furring strips, and having gauged this thickness by the said strips, the plasterer can easily slide his trowel over the wire covered ridges of the strip, there being no projections whatever, as the nails 8 are driven flush or sunk below the surface and do not function in supporting the fabric. At 9 the second or finishing coat is shown applied.

Having illustrated and described my invention in its simplest form, what I claim as new and desire Letters Patent therefor in the United States, is the following:

1. A sheet-metal furring strip, substantially V-shaped in cross-section, the ridge of said strip perforated with holes for the reception of fastening means, and the sides thereof notched for the keying of plaster behind said strip.

2. A furring strip of nonswelling and nonshrinking material, having a channel shaped cross-section throughout its entire length. the top of said strip perforated with spaced holes, and the sides thereof notched between the said holes, any of the holes adapted for the insertion of fastening means, and the unused holes together with the said notches adapted for the keying of plaster to the said strip.

3. In combination, a wall sheathing, metallic furring strips adapted to be fastened to said sheathing, wire lathing adapted to be supported on said strips but not secured thereto, fastening means adapted to engage said lathing between the saidstrips to hold the same to said sheathing in stretched. tension, the said metallic elements forming reinforcement for stucco wall composition, the latter adapted to be spread on the sheathing surface and between and around the meshes of said reinforcement.

4. In combination, a wall sheathing, building paper, metallic furring strips adapted to be fastened to said sheathing over said paper, wire lathing adapted to be supported on said strips but not secured thereto, fastening means adapted to engage said lathing between the said strips to hold the same to said sheathing in stretched tension, the said metallic elements forming reinforcement for stucco wall composition, the latter adapted to be spread on the sheathing surface and between and around the meshes of said reinforcement.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature.

MERTON B. THRIFT. 

